Wednesday, November 23, 2011

23rd Of November 2011 Update of New and Key Restocked Itemsat Redscroll Records

CLOSED ON THURSDAY

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! And a happy Indigenous People's Day! Give thanks!

BLACK FRIDAY RECORD STORE DAY Releases are included in the stock update below. The Rolling Stones 7" got caught up in customs so that has been delayed and we'll have it sometime next week it looks like. What we did get is pretty limited. We don't foresee it being nearly as anticipated or demanding as Record Store Day in April, but we would suggest showing up close to opening if you want to make sure you get one of the exclusive items. There are no holds on any of this stuff so it is first come, first served on it all. We believe that's the fairest way to do it.

Besides the update of stock below you'll also find the DJ schedule for Friday and a note about a show that night.

And don't forget about the sale (if you're reading this there's no way that's even a possibility).

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Our friend Kyle came by and demonstrated one of the better ways of navigating a full row of records. It's especially helpful right now with our constant growth and not being able to be completely keep up with it. The rows are full of LPs and it gets a bit tight. This method definitely helps when browsing or looking for something specific or when you're specifically browsing (errrrrr).

Friday, November 18, 2011

18th of November 2011 Update of New and Key Restocked Itemsat Redscroll Records

QUICK NOTE: As with all sale times we will not be taking any trade-ins during the sale (November 25-27) so if you plan on doing any of that please do that by Wednesday. If you do want credit towards the sale we would be happy to write you out a slip. We just get too busy during sales to look at records (happily busy).

The Update for next week will be published Wednesday (Nov. 23) and will include our Record Store Day Black Friday release acquisitions so look for that.

(Type)This Norwegian act serves up another delightfully nasty slab of noise. Opener “Sentimental Journey” sets the mood with a 20-minute river of noxious, lava-hot guitar sludge before delving into tracks that experiment with more varied elements of noise music. There’s plenty of good ol’ static in tracks like “In The Days Of The Burning Guitar,” which sounds like a post-nuclear war melee between robots and mutants under the blinding sun, thanks to its frazzled, uncompromising drum patterns. What noise really boils down to for me, though, is what provides a freakish-enough sonic overload; I think this album really delivers on that. “Yellow Mountain Fur Peak” reminds me of the playful-yet-abrasive tinkering on Nautical Almanac’s “Rooting For The Microbes” album, while others like “It Is The Nobel Prize I Want. It’s Worth $400.000” take on a total Merzbow-level meltdown of bracing disorientation. [Reviewer: Mark]

Kuedo Severant CD/LP

(Planet Mu)Kuedo is a project from Jaime of Vex'd. I loved Vex'd, but it's been revealed that his partner in that project, Roly, was perhaps more of the driving force of their gritty grimey dubstep pioneering sound. Jaime Vex'd's 12" (under that name) was still in line with that sound a bit (much less dark however). Kuedo might as well be completely disassociated beyond knowing his pedigree. Using modern elements in tandem with older soundtrack feels from the likes of Goblin, Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, and John Carpenter (and more recently Zombi) Jaime has created a unique album with classic sensibilities resulting in many replays from myself (unquantifiable replayability). [Reviewer: Rick]

Psychedelic Horsesh!tLaced LP

(FatCat)The extreme lo-fi craze can be pretty polarizing, and these guys chose the route of self-deprecation by identifying their genre as “shitgaze.” It’s best not to compare them to bands like Wavves, though; Psychedelic Horseshit is more enthusiastic about electronic experimentation (plus, PH’s sound is still pretty rough compared to several previously ultra-distorted bands that have gone for a cleaner sound recently, including Wavves.) “I Hate The Beach” and “Revolution Waters” are good examples of the fuzzed-out dream-like atmospheres that this album conveys. The sloppy sound and droll vocals also remind me of The UV Race’s “Homo,” but more “indie/experimental” than that record’s more traditional psych-rock roots. “French Countryside” gave me a mental image of Black Dice performing in a ramshackle arcade, and “Dead On Arrival” has a hypnotic, fantastical shimmer throughout. A more surprising track is the smoothly ambient “Automatic Writing,” which feels like a strangely calm experience inside a computer. This album sure likes to explore.[Reviewer: Mark]

Thursday, November 17, 2011

As stated on the flyer for the sale if you spend $100 you get one of these for free (or the symbol design we did earlier this year). This new simple design was requested by more than a handful of people so I hope you all like it. We think it came out pretty great. It's the basic idea from our first square bumper sticker.

We have white ink on black Next Level brand shirts or yellow ink on Gildan brand green shirts (y' know, like the Oakland Athletic baseball club? Like Rickey Henderson. Rickey Henderson wearing this would love the way Rickey Henderson looks).

If you don't spend $100 or more at the sale you can still get them for $10.

Oh yea, and we have some pins that we made up that are free for everyone that comes into the store next weekend for the sale.

Here's what those look like:

Thanks to Shogun for doing a great job on the shirts and Just Buttons for the outstanding buttons. As per usual Todd Rogers did a great job designing all of this too (as well as the Blackout Sale flyer). Thanks abounding.

Ringworm is finally free from their Victory Records contract after this years full length release, "Scars". It's very fitting that they would find a home with Lord Dom at A389 Recordings. The cover to this comes as an eight panel comic drawn by Human Furnace, which is about a girl picking up this very 7", playing it backwards and having her Victory-lovin' enemies thwarted by evil spirits. This is worth picking up for the art alone. Musically, Ringworm bangs out two short high energy thrash metal hardcore crossover jams that are typical for them. It looks like these were recorded in 2005 & 2007, so they've been shelved for a while. Mindsnare is an Australian hardcore band, that has been kicking around since 1993 playing a very similar style to Ringworm, but Ringworm was doing it first so they win.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Our friends at Real Art Ways (click for show times and more info - including information on post-film discussion with the directors) have been nice enough to extend some more tickets our way to see a screening of this funky flick (seriously, it's has to be funky, right?). The film-makers have been nice to us as well and have given us permission to give away a CD and a signed poster (by the band, not the film-makers). We have the tickets on hand and the CD and poster will be mailed to the winners.

We can have 2 winners (each will get a pair of tickets, a CD and a signed poster). All you have to do is come in and tell whoever is at the front counter one thing you like about Fishbone.

EVERYDAY SUNSHINE is a documentary about the band Fishbone, musical pioneers who have been rocking on the margins of pop culture for the past 25 years. From the streets of South-Central Los Angeles and the competitive Hollywood music scene of the 1980's, the band rose to prominence, only to fall apart when on the verge of "making it."

Laurence Fishburne narrates EVERYDAY SUNSHINE, an entertaining cinematic journey into the personal lives of this unique Black rock band, an untold story of fiercely individual artists in their quest to reclaim their musical legacy while debunking the myths of young Black men from urban America. Highlighting the parallel journeys of a band and their city, EVERYDAY SUNSHINE explores the personal and cultural forces that gave rise to California's legendary Black punk sons that continue to defy categories and expectations.

At the heart of the film's story is lead singer Angelo Moore and bassist Norwood Fisher who show how they keep the band rolling, out of pride, desperation and love for their art. To overcome money woes, family strife, and the strain of being aging Punk rockers on the road, Norwood and Angelo are challenged to re-invent themselves in the face of dysfunction and ghosts from a painful past.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Connecticut has a lot going on this weekend. Here are three things that we will most definitely be in attendance for.

1. WESU Fall Record Fair (Facebook Event). Last year we scored a ton of great stuff for way cheap! Sean got a a copy of Botch "We Are The Romans" LP /300 for $30, that's a steal! We'll have a couple of tables of stuff from our store set up along with 17 other dealers.The Hartford Area Roller Derby girls will be selling baked goods as well. Get sugared up and dig hard. There will be a couple food trucks outside too. This fair is FREE. 11AM - 4PM. Saturday, November 12th Beckham Hall Wyllys Avenue, Wesleyan University Campus Middletown, CT.

2. After the record fair, we'll be heading down to The El'N'Gee in New London, CT to catch a performance by legendary Connecticut natives, Youth Of Today. This show is brought to us by Brass City Boss Sounds, so head over to their site and secure your ticket to move up front and shout out loud.

The last time I saw YOT was 1999. They played a reunion show in Wallingford. It was originally supposed to be at the Extreme Skatepark, but it got moved to the Polish Club down the street. I'm glad it did because the floor of the 4th floor warehouse the skatepark was in would have absolutely caved in. At that time, Jamey (Hatebreed, Stillborn, Jasta) had a small record store called Subterranean in the center of town. The day of the show, a bunch of local kids got recruited to help out. I got left at the shop by myself. No one gave me the key to take the security cases off of CDs, so I was cutting them out with pliers. People from all over the world flew in for that show and had to come to Subterranean to pick up their tickets. I have a really vivid memory of trying to explain to some nice European dudes that I couldn't take purple money.

When I arrived at the show that night, I remember the hall was packed super tight and it felt like it took forever from the time the doors opened to when Right Brigade started that night. As soon as the feedback started in, the floor opened up wide. Dudes were moshing so hard, the floor boards were bouncing up and down and I could barely stay on my own two feet, let alone defend myself from getting hit. I made my way to the side of the stage and managed to watch the rest of the show from the speaker stacks. Youth Of Today was amazing that night. I can't put the vibe of their set into words.

Do not miss this opportunity to catch them live!

3. Sunday brings us a night of brutal hardcore rituals by Salvation (Youth Attack), Hoax (Youth Attack) & Brass Caskets will be taking place in a secret location (Facebook Event). To be guided to the show, meet at Redscroll. We'll show you the way.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

The first one (that we know of) has been done and it's on Josh. There are supposedly a couple people with appointments to get some done, but seeing is believing. Please show pictures to us when you've got them to share!

(Random unrelated assortment)

So, yea, if you didn't know by now (there's been a teaser on our dry-erase board for about 5 months now) we do offer discounts to anyone that gets a Redscroll Records tattoo. However, we urge all to check in with us first before just getting something and expecting some kind of discount. Size and placement will determine the size of the discount.

We've gone ahead and teamed up with Liberty Tattoo in Berlin, CT to offer some fun predetermined discounts at predetermined prices (a flash sheet!). Davey A drew these and we're psyched on the results.

(Click to enlarge and see the prices and discounts offered for each.)

The gang over at Liberty even did some math to figure out how much it takes to make your money back on these and the answer that matters is it costs $666 to have the black metal dude pay for itself!

There are a couple simple rules to the the flash tattoo discount:

No changes! (If you want the price and discount listed you must get the tattoo exactly as it is in the exact size that it is.)

No doubling or multiplying of any kind. (If you want to get multiple tattoos that's awesome, but only one of them will go towards a discount.)

When you come in to get a discount you must be prepared to have us take a picture of it on you. If you get it on your secret no-no spot then get ready to show us!

(We'd really just prefer they be more easily accessible.)

Liberty Tattoo LLC853 Farmington AveBerlin, CT 06037

860 828 8880

Lastly, if you plan on getting this done let Liberty and us know by attending this Facebook Event.

Last Saturday, we were hit with a freak snow storm that sent trees crashing down onto power lines causing most of the state to be without electricity. my house and Redscroll were both luckily spared. When I woke up Sunday morning, I had a few free hours to myself thanks to the nor'easter so, I reached for my new copy of "Live...Suburbia". Through personal essays and collected color photos, authors Anthony Pappalardo (In My Eyes, Radio Silence) and Max G. Morton (Heartworm) set a tone for what growing up as part of a subculture in the suburban landscape of the 1980s was like. A pre-internet era, where people couldn't just "google" anything that was foreign to them. Where you had to dig deep and be patient if you wanted to get outside the box and not end up a fucking norm. I recommend that you flip through the book first, just look at the pictures, transport yourself back in time, then start into the essays.

[Reviewer: Josh]

Planetary Assault Systems The Messenger 2x12"

(Ostgut Ton/Kompakt)

I've recently been getting some heavy nostalgia for the late 90s/early 00s and specificaly the maximalist feel that came along with that time; barrages of sensory overload. The Digital Hardcore Records label (Alec Empire of Atari Teenage Riot's baby) was great for that. Industrial Strength records just turned 20 (I went to the 20th anniversary party and enjoyed it). Draw back a bit from those approaches (the in-your-face non-stop thumping approach) and you'd find acts like Zipperspy who were more adventurous with maximalism; drawing into a more experimentalist slant while not losing the rhythm behind it. Mash Up Soundsystem was good for that approach too; breakcore on a more adventurous journey (not relying on gangster movie samples and 808s for instance). Planetary Assault Systems is perhaps a modern take on that (maybe it's a stretch for anyone but me to see it this way; then again, I'm the author here so what I say goes). Mix in the Modern Love camp (Andy Stott, Demdike Stare, Claro Intelecto...) and make it a bit hyper. Minimal maximalism? Take the ride. Syncopation in afro-centric rhythms while not completely full (leaving some tasteful spaces to realize how silly you look dancing to this; we all look silly dancing no matter how skilled -> fact). I should put this on 45 RPM and really get a workout going. See ya.

[Reviewer: Rick]

Purity Ring / Braids Belispeak / Peach Wedding7"

(Fat Possum)

Yo, you like girls singing all demure-like over some off-beat mostly electronic business? So do I? Did you get that free Labyrinth Ear release a while ago? No, you should get that here. So sickeningly sweet and dreamy, but without any twangy guitar rattling or straight-forward drumming weighing it down (I'm serious). Thank you Twin Peaks for influencing so many people to just slow down and take care and party. Slow it down to 33 1/3 and get extra syrupy and it's still good (at that speed they actually sound like they could be the same band). I listened to this probably more times on the wrong speed. I admit it. Try it.

[Reviewer: Rick]

Yacht Shangri-La CD/LP

(DFA)

Right from the get-go, it’s clear that there’s something peculiar about this disco-sounding electropop/dance-punk album. The promo copy’s description tells the listener that the disc “contains information key to the building of a new utopia.” It kicks off with the super-danceable “Utopia,” pulsing with a sunny city-of-the-future vibe before the polar opposite “Dystopia;” a slower, funkier and obviously bleaker track with vocals that are still delivered with similar emphasis. The meanings behind the messages are up for debate; I know it’s been quoted in several reviews already, but lyrics like "I love you like a small-town cop/ Yeah, I wanna smash your face in with a rock” play a significant role in understanding just what YACHT is conveying. Instead of brainless euphoria, it sounds like a form of self-awareness in which they acknowledge that they want to try and enjoy life in a very imperfect world. It would make for a very unique night of club dancing.